(March 10, 2005) - Despite being hit hard by the flu bug, the University of Wyoming women's Nordic team remains in contention for its third consecutive United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships being held this week in McCall, Idaho.
The Cowgirls, entering the final meet of the season ranked number one in the nation, placed first in Tuesday's opening 1.5 kilometer (km) sprint race and were the national runners-up in the 15km freestyle race Wednesday. Friday is the 8.5km classic race and the national meet wraps up with a team relay race on Saturday.
The UW men finished second in both races to St. Olaf College of Northfield, Minn.
"Everyone on our team had influenza last week except three women. Most of the team was barely well for the first race on Tuesday," says UW coach UW coach Christi Boggs, technology coordinator in the UW College of Education. "With that said, we're doing amazingly well considering that last Wednesday we didn't think that we'd even have three men to race."
During Tuesday's 1.5km race, UW's Erika Edgely, a senior from Lake Placid, N.Y., was the national runner-up, followed by Kristen Boroff, a senior from Pinedale. Her sister, freshman Kari Boroff, placed sixth; Christine Robinson a senior from Casper took 10th; Melissa Gangl, a sophomore from Casper was two places back, and in 13th was Laramie sophomore Ava Bell.
The Cowgirls recorded 11 points, followed by St. Olaf with 18 and Cornell University was third with 24.
Kristen Boroff was crowned the 15km national champion to help boost the Cowgirls to second place overall. Kari Boroff placed sixth; Edgely 10th, Robinson 11th, Gangl 14th and Bell finished in 17th place.
St. Olaf won the team title with 9 points, followed by UW with 17 and Clarkson University of Potsdam, N.Y., took third with 25 points.
In the men's opening race Tuesday, Riley Hopeman placed third and Joseph Howdyshell, both juniors from Lander, took seventh. Other UW men's results were Adam Alspach, a junior from Casper, 11th; Josh Peterson and Collin McRann, both Lander sophomores, placed 16th and 22nd, respectively; Brian Sebade, took 28th; and three places back was Ben Miller. Both are freshmen from Lander.
In the team standings, St. Olaf won the competition with 13 points, followed by UW with 21, and the Air Force Academy was third with 27.
In Wednesday's individual 15km competition, Howdyshell placed third; Hopeman took fourth; McRann 12th; Alspach 17th; Peterson 18th; Miller 26th; and Sebade 33rd.
Overall, St. Olaf won the team award for the second straight day with 15 points, edging the UW Cowboys by just three points. Clarkson University was third with 31 points.
"They are all skiing amazingly well considering that some of them had fevers of 102 degrees just a few days ago," Boggs says. "The women are still in the hunt for the overall national championship and the men are hoping for a great showing in Friday's race."
March 14, 2005 -- The University of Wyoming Nordic ski teams' hopes of winning three straight United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSSA) national titles fell just four points short.
St. Olaf College of Northfield, Minn., a Division I varsity team that normally doesn't compete at the, USCSSA national meet, but rather at the more prestigious NCAA-sanctioned event, won the women's title, while the UW Cowgirls finished second in the season finale March 12, in McCall, Idaho. The UW Cowboys also finished second to the Minnesota school in the overall standings.
"It was an absolutely incredible nationals meet for us and we couldn't be more proud of our athletes," says UW coach UW coach Christi Boggs, technology coordinator in the UW College of Education.
Lander's Riley Hopeman captured the national 8.5 kilometer race on a course that Boggs called more of an ice skating rink because of the unusually warm temperatures the day before and the cool temperatures at night hardened the snow.
"The men would have had a real shot at winning, too, but influenza hit them the hardest and we did not have a healthy third man during the week," Boggs said. The team was hampered by the flu bug heading into the national meet.
Hopeman won the race, holding a 22-second lead against a Clarkson College (Potsdam, N.Y.) skier with a winning time of 22:03.7. UW teammate Joe Howdyshell, also of Lander, finished in fifth position, while other Cowboy place winners were Adam Alspach, Casper, 11th; Collin McRann and Ben Miller in 15th and 16th, respectively; and Joshua Peterson and Brian Sebade 30th and 37th. All are from Lander.
Racing on the same course later in the day, the conditions turned to slush for the Cowgirls. Kristen Boroff of Pinedale was the national runner-up in the final individual race of the national meet. She was followed by sister Kari Boroff in third place; Erika Edgley of Lake Placid, N.Y. in fourth; and Casper's Melissa Gangl in seventh. As a team, the Cowgirls finished first.
The final day of competition was a relay event, with teams of three athletes each completing a 5 km course. The first two athletes use the classic stride and the third competitor uses the faster freestyle technique. The UW women's team of Kari Boroff, Edgley and Kristen Boroff finished second to the St. Olaf threesome. In the men's relay, Howdyshell, Alspach, and Hopeman were third.
Earlier in the week, Kristen Boroff won the women's national 15km race.
Six UW Nordic skiers earned Academic All-American honors. Receiving first team status were Kristen Boroff and Peterson. Second team honors went to Christine Robinson, Casper. Earning honorable mention were Gangl, Kari Boroff, and Laramie's Ava Bell.
